Regret
by Lady Subaru
Summary: Kenshin, wanting to protect Kaoru from those who would attack him, leaves the Kamiya school as Hitokiri Battousai. But Kaoru won't let him go so easily. She doesn't stop to think-what if Kenshin doesn't want to go back? Depressing scenes! Read please!


Kaoru {Author}: My first fanfic on fanfiction.net! I'm scared...  
Kenshin: ....Oro?  
Kaoru: I don't want flames!  
Kenshin: Aa. I see.  
Kaoru: *cling* HELP MEEEE!  
Kenshin: Oooooroooooo...  
Kaoru: ...Sorry. ^^; *lets go* Ok...on to chapter one! Hope you all like it! Disclaimer please, Kenshin?  
Kenshin: *nod* Kaoru claims no ownership to Rurouni Kenshin or its characters, that she doesn't. But she does own this fanfic, that she does.  
Kaoru: *nod nod.*  
  
**begin chapter**  
  
Kenshin's sword made a quick slash. Blood poured to the ground, Kenshin's ice eyes never wavering as Sanosuke fell. Yahiko took a step forward. "...Battousai." The Hitokiri glanced to the boy. "I've never regretted that name. Don't say it as a curse." The blade flashed as a warning before Kenshin disappeared into the shadows.   
"Dammit! Kenshin, why!?" Yahiko looked to the blood, then to the reverse-blade sword resting wit the Kamiya school's practice swords. "Why the hell would you do something like this!?" No answer came from the darkness. "I thought you fought to protect people! Not to kill!" Now he could faintly see a silhouette turning back. "Himura Kenshin fought to protect people.....not Hitokiri Battousai. I'm sorry, Yahiko. Tell Kaoru I said goodbye."  
"But Kenshin....! Why did you attack Sanosuke!? Where are you going!?"  
Battousai ignored him and left. At that moment, Kaoru ran happily into the room, oblivious to what had happened. "Kenshin, I finally--" Her eyes went wide when she saw Sanosuke bleeding on the floor. "Yahiko, what happened!? Where's Kenshin!?"  
".....Kenshin's gone."  
"What!? Where!?"   
"I don't know. But it wasn't Himura Kenshin who left here. It was Hitokiri Battousai."  
Kaoru's eyes went wider than before. "Battousai!?" Yahiko focused on the ground, silent. A sudden realization came to the assistant master of the Kamiya school. ".....Battousai.....so.....did Kenshin, I mean Hitokiri, do this?" Her hand gestured to Sanosuke. The boy nodded slightly. "Kenshin told me.....Kaoru, he wanted to tell you goodbye." She clenched her hand into a fist. ".....Yahiko, I'm leaving you in charge of the school for a while. Bring Dr. Gensai to take care of Sano's wounds. I don't know when I'll be back. If I come back." She took down the reverse-blade sword and her own sword. "Keep training. You're learning the Kamiya Kasshin style faster than I expected. I'd like to see you master it someday."  
"Kaoru, be careful. I don't know what Kenshin will do."  
"I know." She waved and walked out the door. 'But.....what could have turned him into Hitokiri...? Could.....' It hurt her to think about it, 'Could I have done something?'  
  
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"Kaoru.....I'm sorry I had to leave....." Kenshin looked down at his sword as he spoke. The old bloodstains were now mixed with new. The blade's sharp edge faced the normal direction. Something he thought he'd never see. He kept wondering about Sanosuke, if Yahiko had said anything yet. The fight kept playing out in his mind.  
  
"What do you mean, you're leaving!?"  
"I don't want Kaoru to be hurt again, that I don't."  
"All you're doing is hurting her! I won't let that happen, Kenshin! And I know that's not what you want!" His hands grasped his Zanbatou.  
".....Sano, I'm sorry about this." Kenshin slashed. In the place of the wanderer now stood the legend Battousai. That was when Yahiko had come in.  
  
"At least I know I didn't kill him, but.....Kaoru probably hates me now....." He shook his head. "Hitokiri. That's who I have to become again." He jumped down from the tree he sat in, wiping all thoughts of Kamiya Kaoru from his mind. Moonlight caught his sword as he practiced his Hiten Mitsurugi style.  
  
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"Kaoru!"  
"Kaoru!" Two voices called out tiredly. "Hm? Ayame-chan? Suzume-chan? What is it?"  
"Where's Kenni?" Ayame asked, looking around.  
"Kenni!"  
Kaoru looked down. "I'm sorry. Kenshin left."  
"Where?"  
"Where? Where?"  
"Far away. I'm leaving for a while too. If I come back, I'll bring Kenshin too, okay?"  
"Okay."  
"Okay!" The two girls, smiling, went back inside. Kaoru hated to leave them. She took a last look to her father's school, and walked away.  
  
"Kenshin!" She called out, "Kenshin! Where are you!?" Something seemed strangely quiet about the forest she had entered. No footsteps, no wind, just a silence, and patterns of moonlight passing like ghosts through the trees. "Kenshin? Ack!" She tripped, crashing into fallen leaves. "Kenshin....." Trying to stand, she noticed a sharp pain in her hand. The reverse-blade sword had cut it. "Kenshin.....I'm never going to find you, am I.....?" Kaoru looked down. The red glint of blood blurred along with everything else as tears formed in her eyes. "That's right....." She mumbled, "Kenshin always was a wanderer......he was just staying for a while." She smiled a little, but sadly. "I got so used to him being around that I forgot. And now that he's back to wandering.....I can't seem to let him leave." She gripped the sword's handle. The blood dripping from her hand poured down the length of the blade. It ran in a thin stream across the ground, a few tears landing in it. "Why did you have to leave me, Kenshin!?" Her voice echoed through the trees, only to have a silence without answers descend again.  
  
**end chapter**  
  
Kaoru: That's all for the first chapter! Review please!!! ^-^;V!  
Kenshin: And remember, flames are for torturing Kaoru's victims, that they are.  
Kaoru: *sweatdrop...* And not for fanfic reviews! Umm...be nice everyone...please? And don't worry! There'll be more Sano and Yahiko and everyone else LATER. But I'm going for a few scenes, maybe a chapter or two, of Kenshin and Kaoru at the beginning. 


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